Business, international

Urban renewal

Article Abstract:

Urban voters in Japan have traditionally not been very politically active, but many of them took the trouble to vote in the elections on Jul 12, 1998. This was a key element in the very poor performance of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), which gained only 44 of the 126 seats being contested. The LDP did not gain any seats at all in the districts that include the four largest Japanese cities, and it seems clear that urban voters are now expressing their opposition to the party's policies.

Unaccounted for

Article Abstract:

Japan's banking industry is gaining from the economic reforms of Prime Minister Ryutaryo Hashimoto. The reforms encourage financial services to compete resulting to the streamlining of services. The move is seen to foster the growth of the industry in the Japanese economy.